Device for the fixation of joint sealing strips

ABSTRACT

At the mounting of joint sealing strips in moulds for concrete casting use is at present made of iron wires or like means which from the joint sealing strip are drawn forth to suitable fastening points at the mould or at the reinforcement placed in the mould. Such a mounting procedure results in an insufficient bracing of the strip and it often happens that the strip collapses under the weight of the concrete masses poured into the mould for the casting operation. The invention has for its object to provide a device which ensures a reliable fixation of joint sealing strips. This device comprises members formed as brackets which are fastened in positions extending transversely across the joint sealing strip so as to keep the strip stretched in the transverse direction. Iron wires or like means serving to localize the strip may be fastened to the brackets in question.

United States Patent Faleij DEVICE FOR THE FIXATION OF JOINT SEALING STRIPS Karl Erik Faleij, Box 4026, 794 00 Orsa, Sweden Filed: Jan. 23, 1973 Appl. No.: 325,970

Inventor:

Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 24, 1972 Sweden 745/72 7/1903 Murray 52/684 3/1918 Hollis 160/329 4/1918 Whetstone 11/1935 Forster 52/680 X 4/1960 Dobell 52/396 X 3/1965 Bradley 52/396 X III FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 936,596 9/1963 United Kingdom 52/396 Primary Examiner-Alfred C. Perham [57] ABSTRACT At the mounting of joint sealing strips in moulds for concrete casting use is at present made of iron wires or like means which from the joint sealing strip are drawn forth to suitable fastening points at the mould or at the reinforcement placed in the mould. Such a mounting procedure results in an insufficient bracing of the strip and it often happens that the strip collapses under the weight of the concrete masses poured into the mould for the casting operation. The invention has for its object to provide a device which ensures a reliable fixation of joint sealing strips. This device comprises members formed as brackets which are fastened in positions extending transversely across the joint sealing strip so as to keep the strip stretched in the transverse direction. Iron wires or like means serving to localize the strip may be fastened to the brackets in question.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures FMENTEU HAY 2 0 I975 SHEET 10F 2 PATENTED MAY 2 0 I975 SHEET 2 U." 2

DEVICE FOR THE FIXATION OF JOINT SEALING STRIPS This invention relates to a device for the fixation of joint sealing strips, waterstops, of the type used in concrete casting to form seals in the joints between adjoining concrete elements and consisting of a strip made of rubber or plastics material, part of which is embedded at the casting of each concrete element so that the central portion of the strip bridges the joint between the elements.

When joint sealing strips of the type outlined in the foregoing are placed in moulds, particularly where the joint sealing strip shall be vertical, i.e. in horizontal joints, it is difficult to maintain the joint sealing strip in the desired position at the pouring of the concrete. It has been tried to solve the problem of supporting the joint sealing strip by providing in the upper and lower strip edges each having a channel for stiffening reinforcing rods, recesses through which transverse reinforcing rods can be inserted so as to lie respectively below and above the stiffening reinforcing rods in said channels, whereby the joint sealing strip is kept stretched vertically. To prevent relative sliding the crossing rods are generally tied together by means of wire. In certain cases, the described method which is limited to joint sealing strips having marginal channels and which implies the necessity of making incisions or cut-outs in the joint sealing strip, may jeopardize the strength of the strip. What is more, mounting of the joint sealing strip in position according to the prior art procedure is extremely time-consuming and as a rule necessitates that two men help one another to insert the transverse rods which may be of considerable length in the recesses and respectively below and above the stiffening rods crossing said transverse rods both at the upper and lower margins of the joint sealing strip or alternatively to pass the upper and lower stiffening rod, respectively, which usually extends throughout the strip length, through the channels and to fit said rod respectively above and below the transverse rods after the strip has been mounted and the last-mentioned rods have been brought in position.

For the fixation of the joint sealing strips and particularly such joint sealing strips as are devoid of marginal channels the usual procedure simply is to make holes in the strip and to pass wires therethrough, which are then fastened at suitable points in the mould or to the overlying reinforcement. This procedure is entirely objec'tionable because the holes formed damage the strip and give rise to openings which because of the cutting effect of the wire may be enlarged in an uncontrollable manner thereby forming leakage carrying paths through the strip.

The present invention has for its object to provide a device that makes it possible effectively to support the strip and considerably to simplify mounting work. According to the invention, the device comprises a member that is fastenable to the joint sealing strip so as to extend transversely across it and that has its ends formed with means permitting interconnection of the strip with complementary means disposed at the outer edges of the joint sealing strip.

Embodiments of the device according to the present invention will be more fully described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of two different embodiments of the joint sealing strip according to the invention.

The joint sealing strip has a usually hollow central portion 1 which is provided on either side with protruding supporting or nailing flanges 2. Ribs 4 protrude along the web portions 3 of the strip and are intended to safeguard the engagement with the concrete elements between which the joint sealing strip shall extend and to improve the sealing effect between the strip and the concrete elements. In the embodiment according to FIG. 1 channels are provided in thickened portions 5 along the outer edges of the strip, said channels serving to accommodate stiffening rods 6 inserted therein.

Projections 7 each in the form of a nailing flange preferably having a marginal bead are disposed at the outer edges of the joint sealing strip. The nailing flange which increases the effective width of the joint sealing strip, constitutes a fastening for the stiffening or supporting means according to the invention and is provided with holes 8 in the embodiment illustrated.

The stiffening and supporting means are brackets 9, one of which is shown in the drawings. At the ends the brackets have hook-shaped portions 10 which are to be passed through the holes 8.

The brackets 9 are made of rigid but resilient material, preferablyspring steel, and in clamped position keep the joint sealing strip stretched in transverse direction.

The brackets are fastened to the joint sealing strip simultaneously as the strip is disposed in the mould. The brackets can be connected at the top and also at the bottom with the mould or adjacent reinforcing rods by wires or like means 11. If necessary, a reinforcing rod 12 may also be passed through the upper portions of the brackets to serve as a fastening for the wires. The task of the wires is to keep the joint sealing strip in position during casting of the lower one of the two concrete elements between which the joint is to be sealed. When the lower concrete element has cured the lower half of the joint sealing strip is embedded therein and, in addition, the lower half of each of the brackets 9 is embedded in concrete.

When during casting the lower half of the joint sealing strip has been embedded and the layer enclosing the upper half is to be cast it often happened hitherto that the upper half buckles or collapses under the weight of the concrete poured, in which case the desired sealing effect is abolished or reduced. As a result of the joint sealing strip having been provided with brackets 9, as described above, the upper still unembedded half of the strip will be effectively supported by the half of the bracket which is embedded.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 the joint sealing strip is devoid of the channels 5 formed in the thickened portions of the strip to accommodate reinforcing rods and instead one marginal portion 7' is fomied with a strong marginal bead 13 while the other marginal portion 7" is formed with flanges l4 protruding in either direction.

In the embodiment illustrated the brackets 9 are slightly curved. However, they can also be entirely straight or consist of two straight portions united by a bent central portion.

In a further embodiment indicated by dash lines in FIG. 2 the bracket is double, i.e. it has two arms joined by a continuous connecting portion. The opposed free ends of the arms are formed as projections at the simple bracket and are meant to be inserted together in a hole 8 formed at the edge of the joint sealing strip.

Instead of brackets of the embodiments illustrated use can be made of stiffening bars suitably made of 5 plastics material, which bars at their ends have studs that can be pressed through the holes 8 formed at the strip edges.

In a modified embodiment pins can be substituted for the holes 8 in the marginal projections, in which case the supporting means will have to be formed with complementary holes so that they can be secured to the pins.

Mounting of joint sealing strips according to the invention can be effected in a considerably shorter time and with a more reliable result than what has hitherto been possible. The risk of leakage through the joint is reduced to a minimum since there is no risk that the joint sealing strip will collapse at the concrete casting operation.

The points where different strip lengths are joined together have hitherto been problematical since one cannot decide for certain with the use of conventional joining methods whether the ends of two strips fused together by application of heat have been united without pore formation. This problem can be eliminated in that a plastics or rubber material dissolved in drying solvent is applied on the outer side of the joint, preferably on either side of the joint sealing strip.

The invention must not be considered limited to the embodiments described above with reference to the drawing, since various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A sealing strip assembly for molding into reinforced concrete to act as a waterstop at the joint of two adjacent concrete elements comprising an elongated relatively wide and substantially flat strip of resilient waterproof material having a central portion adapted to be positioned at the joint between the two concrete elements and a pair of oppositely directed side flanges adapted to be molded one in each of the concrete elements at the time of casting these elements, and a plurality of pairs of holes formed in the strip at spaced intervals along the length thereof with one hole of each pair being located adjacent the outer edge of each of the flange, an elongated bracket formed from a rigid resilient material and including a body portion extending transversely across said strip adjacent a pair of said holes and having a length greater than the width of said strip, a reversely bent arm portion integrally formed on said body portion at each end thereof and projecting inwardly and laterally therefrom in position to project one through each hole of one pair of the holes in the strip, said arms and body portion cooperating to define an inwardly open generally U-shaped portion positioned outwardly from the holes and spaced from said strip and a hook portion on the end of each said arm in position to releasably retain the strip on the bracket when said arms are positioned in the holes, said hooks being spaced apart a distance at least as great as the holes of the pairs of holes whereby the bracket is adapted to retain the strip in a substantially flat outstretched condition, said U-shaped portion being adapted to embrace a concrete reinforcing element to support the assembly in position during casting of the concrete.

2. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said body portion, said arms and said hook portions are formed from a single piece of resilient spring steel wire. l= 

1. A sealing strip assembly for molding into reinforced concrete to act as a waterstop at the joint of two adjacent concrete elements comprising an elongated relatively wide and substantially flat strip of resilient waterproof material having a central portion adapted to be positioned at the joint between the two concrete elements and a pair of oppositely directed side flanges adapted to be molded one in each of the concrete elements at the time of casting these elements, and a plurality of pairs of holes formed in the strip at spaced intervals along the length thereof with one hole of each pair being located adjacent the outer edge of each of the flange, an elongated bracket formed from a rigid resilient material and including a body portion extending transversely across said strip adjacent a pair of said holes and having a length greater than the width of said strip, a reversely bent arm portion integrally formed on said body portion at each end thereof and projecting inwardly and laterally therefrom in position to project one through each hole of one pair of the holes in the strip, said arms and body portion cooperating to define an inwardly open generally U-shaped portion positioned outwardly from the holes and spaced from said strip and a hook portion on the end of each said arm in position to releasably retain the strip on the bracket when said arms are positioned in the holes, said hooks being spaced apart a distance at least as great as the holes of the pairs of holes whereby the bracket is adapted to retain the strip in a substantially flat outstretched condition, said U-shaped portion being adapted to embrace a concrete reinforcing element to support the assembly in position during casting of the concrete.
 2. The assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said body portion, said arms and said hook portions are formed from a single piece of resilient spring steel wire. 